Isolation and characterization of Bartonella quintana from parotid gland of an immunocompetent man.

We describe a case of the isolation of Bartonella quintana from the parotid gland of an apparently healthy man. Pathological examination showed intraparotid granulomatous abscessual lymphadenitis. Diagnosis was made on the basis of high titers of immunoglobulin G (IgG) and IgM antibodies and of culture isolation of a causative agent from parotid aspirate

Metabolic responses of microbial community in soil amended with fresh leaves and leaf extracts from eucalyptus spp.

Field observations reveal that often large areas of soil surface beneath Eucalyptus occidentalis Endl. are completely bare or with scant vegetation. Moreover, previous studies have showed that other species of Eucalyptus, such as Eucalyptus camaldulensis Dehn, may be effective in suppressing seed germination and weed growth. Such effects have been ascribed to the large number of secondary metabolites within Eucalyptus leaves. Due to their inhibition activity against weeds, leaf extracts might be used for an integrated weed management context, in accordance with the Directive 2009/128/EC. Several studies exist about the effects of Eucalyptus leaf extracts on weeds, whereas they are lacking on soil microorganisms. Therefore, the aim of this study was to assess the effects of Eucalyptus leaf extracts on soil microbial biomass and activity, as well as on the relative abundance of main microbial groups. The extracts were obtained by hydrodistillation [essential oils (EOs) and hydrolates] and by water cold extraction (aqueous extracts) from leaves of both E. camaldulensis and E. occidentalis. Also, fresh leaves were tested. The soil was spread with EOs at doses of 2.64 or 3.52 \uf06dl g-1. They were applied by adding a proper water solution containing the given amount of EOs to 350 g of dry soil, so reaching 50% of its water holding capacity. The above solution held the emulsifier Fitoil at 0.5 mL L-1. Fresh leaves, dried at 40\ub0C for 48 hours, were chopped and applied at doses of 6.6 and 5.0 mg g-1 of dry soil for E. camaldulensis and E. occidentalis, respectively. Such litter application doses were those found, at field conditions (780 and 575 g m-2, respectively). Two controls were also prepared: one with water and another with water and Fitoil. After the addition of all the treatments, soils were incubated at room temperature (20-23\ub0C) in the dark for 35 days. At days 7 and 35, soils were analyzed for soil microbial biomass C and N. At the same days, the main microbial groups were investigated through the ester linked fatty acids (FAMEs). Moreover, 20 g of soil were incubated as above in 200 mL jars to determine the soil respiration rate (CO2 emission) during 36 days of incubation. Preliminary results showed, that EOs from the two species and at both doses exerted a significant biocidal action on soil microorganisms, while hydrolates, aqueous extracts and fresh leaves stimulated both microbial biomass and activity

Monitoring of the effects of added carbon by citrus hydrolates waste in a soil.

The hydrolates are the waste to be disposed of are a product of the industrial extraction process of the essential oils through cold pressing of the citrus peels. However, due to the presence of water soluble compounds (sugars, polyphenols, acids), hydrolates could be reused instead of being, due to the high economic burden, a problem in the disposal of the same, charged to the company. The aim of this work was to evaluate the effects of citrus hydrolate when directly applied as irrigation water on soil. Was monitored soil chemical and biochemical property, in particularly effect of the high carbon addition on microbial biomass, activity and structure community and effect on carbon soil stock. The soil used for the experiment was collected from the topsoil (0-10 cm) of a citrus lemon orchard, air-dried and sieved at 2 mm. Then, 450 g of soil were placed in 1L jar and moistened up to 50% of the water holding capacity (WHC) by applying hydrolates and/or water. The tested hydrolates were obtained from three citrus species: Citrus Sinensis, Citrus Limon and Citrus Reticulata. The hydrolates were applied at three different doses to reach 1/3, 2/3 and 3/3 of the 50% of soil WHC. Respectively, 35, 70 and 105 ml of hydrolate were added to 450 g of air-dried soil. Distilled water was added when necessary to complement the 50% of WHC. Control soil was moistened up to 50% of its WHC with distilled water only. At the same time, 20 g of soil per each treatment were similarly incubated in 200 mL jars, sealed with rubber stopper holding silicon septa to monitor the emission of CO2. Four replicates per treatment were run. Soil samples were incubated in the dark at constant temperature (23.0 ± 0.5°C) and their humidity weekly adjusted up to 50% of WHC by adding distilled water. Microbial biomass C was determined according to the fumigation-extraction method after 1, 4 and 8, weeks of incubation. At the same time, soil fatty acid methyl esters (FAMEs) were determined and used as indicators of the main microbial groups. The CO2 accumulated in the headspace of the jars was measured at days 2, 5, 7 during the first week, then weekly for the following month and finally bi-weekly until day 60. This preliminary study for the possible use of citrus hydrolates as amenders and biostimulants for soil microorganisms showed that they might constitute readily available sources of carbon for microorganisms but at different extent, depending on the citrus species

Case Report: Ictal Central Apnea as First and Overlooked Symptom in Temporal Lobe Seizures

Ictal respiratory changes have been mainly described following generalized tonic-clonic seizures and recently considered to be a biomarker to assess the risk of sudden unexplained death in epilepsy (SUDEP). Nonetheless, modification of respiratory pattern can be related also to focal seizures, especially arising from the temporal lobe. Changes in cardiac function such as tachycardia or bradycardia could be often associated. We report a short case series of four patients with temporal lobe epilepsy admitted to our Epilepsy Monitoring Unit (EMU) presenting with an ictal central apnea as the first clinical manifestation of their seizures. None of these patients was aware of the occurrence of respiratory arrest. Age at onset ranged from 15 to 29 years. One patient had seizures with prolonged central apnea accompanied by a significant decrease in oxygen saturation. Neuroimaging in two patients showed alterations of mesial temporal lobe structures, including the amygdala. Recent neurophysiological studies supported the existence of a cortical network involving the limbic system that modulates downstream brainstem respiratory centers. Monitoring for respiratory changes and oxygen saturation in focal seizures is warranted for their potential value in identifying the epileptogenic zone and for a better understanding of ictal respiratory changes that could potentially define a subgroup of patients with high risk of seizure-related autonomic changes

Valorization of a Levulinic Acid Platform through Electrospinning of Polyhydroxyalkanoate-Based Fibrous Membranes for in Vitro Modeling of Biological Barriers

In vitro models of biological barriers provide a reliable tool for investigating the physiopathological processes involved in the development of numerous diseases. Producing sustainable in vitro models obtained from solvents and biopolymers derived from industrial by-products add an important value to this underestimated source of valuable (bio)materials. This works aims at demonstrating the suitability of processing together solvents derived from levulinic acid (LA) (extracted from biomasses) and poly(3-hydroxybutyrate-co-3-hydroxyvalerate (PHBV) (whose production is facilitated by LA) to produce electrospun membranes as proof-of-concept of a sustainable, engineered biological barrier fully derived from LA as the starting feedstock. The electrospinning process is initially optimized by identifying the most suitable conditions for obtaining self-supporting microporous membranes. In particular, LA-derived solvents (γ-valerolactone, 2-methyltetrahydrofuran, methyl ethyl ketone, and methyl and ethyl levulinate), PHBV concentration, and electrospinning process parameters were investigated. Self-standing and hydrophobic PHBV mats with a micropore size in the range of 1–7 μm and an average elastic modulus of 75 MPa are successfully obtained by using methyl ethyl ketone/formic acid as solvent. Preliminary cell experiments demonstrate that the developed fibrous PHBV mats promote the formation of a confluent monolayer of epithelial cells after 48 h and therefore they can potentially be used to mimic biological epithelial barriers

Ictal apnea: A prospective monocentric study in patients with epilepsy

Background and purpose: Ictal respiratory disturbances have increasingly been reported, in both generalized and focal seizures, especially involving the temporal lobe. Recognition of ictal breathing impairment has gained importance for the risk of sudden unexpected death in epilepsy (SUDEP). The aim of this study was to evaluate the incidence of ictal apnea (IA) and related hypoxemia during seizures. Methods: We collected and analyzed electroclinical data from consecutive patients undergoing long-term video-electroencephalographic (video-EEG) monitoring with cardiorespiratory polygraphy. Patients were recruited at the epilepsy monitoring unit of the Civil Hospital of Baggiovara, Modena Academic Hospital, from April 2020 to February 2022. Results: A total of 552 seizures were recorded in 63 patients. IA was observed in 57 of 552 (10.3%) seizures in 16 of 63 (25.4%) patients. Thirteen (81.2%) patients had focal seizures, and 11 of 16 patients showing IA had a diagnosis of temporal lobe epilepsy; two had a diagnosis of frontal lobe epilepsy and three of epileptic encephalopathy. Apnea agnosia was reported in all seizure types. Hypoxemia was observed in 25 of 57 (43.9%) seizures with IA, and the severity of hypoxemia was related to apnea duration. Apnea duration was significantly associated with epilepsy of unknown etiology (magnetic resonance imaging negative) and with older age at epilepsy onset (p < 0.001). Conclusions: Ictal respiratory changes are a frequent clinical phenomenon, more likely to occur in focal epilepsies, although detected even in patients with epileptic encephalopathy. Our findings emphasize the need for respiratory polygraphy during long-term video-EEG monitoring for diagnostic and prognostic purposes, as well as in relation to the potential link of ictal apnea with the SUDEP risk

The role of the amygdala in ictal central apnea: insights from brain MRI morphometry

Objective: Ictal central apnea (ICA) is a frequent correlate of focal seizures, particularly in temporal lobe epilepsy (TLE), and regarded as a potential electroclinical biomarker of sudden unexpected death in epilepsy (SUDEP). Aims of this study are to investigate morphometric changes of subcortical structures in ICA patients and to find neuroimaging biomarkers of ICA in patients with focal epilepsy.Methods: We prospectively recruited focal epilepsy patients with recorded seizures during a video-EEG long-term monitoring with cardiorespiratory polygraphic recordings from April 2020 to September 2022. Participants were accordingly subdivided into two groups: patients with focal seizures with ICA (ICA) and without (noICA). A pool of 30 controls matched by age and sex was collected. All the participants underwent MRI scans with volumetric high-resolution T1-weighted images. Post-processing analyses included a whole-brain VBM analysis and segmentation algorithms performed with FreeSurfer.Results: Forty-six patients were recruited (aged 15-60 years): 16 ICA and 30 noICA. The whole-brain VBM analysis showed an increased gray matter volume of the amygdala ipsilateral to the epileptogenic zone (EZ) in the ICA group compared to the noICA patients. Amygdala sub-segmentation analysis revealed an increased volume of the whole amygdala, ipsilateral to the EZ compared to controls [F(1, 76) = 5.383, pFDR = 0.042] and to noICA patients ([F(1, 76) = 5.383, pFDR = 0.038], specifically of the basolateral complex (respectively F(1, 76) = 6.160, pFDR = 0.037; F(1, 76) = 5.121, pFDR = 0.034). Interpretation: Our findings, while confirming the key role of the amygdala in participating in ictal respiratory modifications, suggest that structural modifications of the amygdala and its subnuclei may be valuable morphological biomarkers of ICA

One-pot process: Microwave-assisted keratin extraction and direct electrospinning to obtain keratin-based bioplastic

Poultry feathers are among the most abundant and polluting keratin-rich waste bio-masses. In this work, we developed a one-pot microwave-assisted process for eco-friendly keratin extraction from poultry feathers followed by a direct electrospinning (ES) of the raw extract, without further purification, to obtain keratin-based bioplastics. This microwave-assisted keratin extraction (MAE) was conducted in acetic acid 70% v/v. The effects of extraction time, solvent/feathers ratio, and heating mode (MAE vs conventional heating) on the extraction yield were investigated. The highest keratin yield (26 ± 1% w/w with respect to initial feathers) was obtained after 5 h of MAE. Waste-derived keratin were blended with gelatin to fabricate keratin-based biodegradable and bio-compatible bioplastics via ES, using 3-(Glycidyloxypropyl)trimethoxysilane (GPTMS) as a cross-linking agent. A full characterization of their thermal, mechanical, and barrier properties was performed by differential scanning calorimetry, thermogravimetric analysis, uniaxial tensile tests, and water permeability measurements. Their morphology and protein structure were investigated using scanning electron microscopy and attenuated total reflection-infrared spectroscopy. All these characterizations highlighted that the properties of the keratin-based bioplastics can be modulated by changing keratin and GPTMS concentrations. These bioplastics could be applied in areas such as bio-packaging and filtration/purification membranes